A New Time
by AithneGoddess
Summary: DracoHermione romance...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – The Lou

"Draco! Draco, we need to stop," Hermione panted softly into his ear, her enticing breath blowing against his burning skin, innocent and sexy at the same time.

"I know. I know, baby." He pulled away trailing sweet little kisses across her pale jaw, allowing his hands to come to rest on her supple breasts.

"We can't do this when I go back to Hogwarts you know." Slowly, he nodded, his thumbs continuing massaging her through her silky dancing shirt that covered almost nothing. Hermione moaned softly, closing her eyes before she jerked away, glaring. "Listen here Malfoy…" She shook her finger at him, only to have it smacked away.

"We'll talk later," Draco, mock-threatened her, as he slipped a hand down to her short mini-skirt and pressed against her warmth with his palm, and he bent to take her into his hungering mouth. Suckling gently at first, he began nipping softly at her sensitive flesh, his tongue wandering to the inviting swell of her breast, teasingly. He tormented her, and as she became even more aroused with the wonder and passion of his touch, she released a gasping breath, which mingled with a honeyed sigh of pleasure. His lips found her own, slow and patient, the exact opposite of the pounding inside him, the rushing, burning sensation that masked every other thought.

"Oh god, Drake," she hissed against his persistent mouth, her body pliant under his demanding, caressing hands. Their tongues danced, their hands roamed, wanting too much, unable to satisfy completely. Suddenly, the door swung open unexpectedly, hitting the tile wall with a loud resounding crack.

"What the fuck? Granger? Draco? What are you two…?" Crabbe stopped mid-sentence when Draco slammed a fist into him, colliding with flesh and bone with the force of a club. Twice he connected his blows, first in the gut, then in the face. Crabbe bent over, sobbing like a baby, clutching his bleeding nose with one pork-like hand and holding his stomach with the other. His eyes, the soulless chasms that they were, begged for forgiveness, as he stood there, awaiting his reprimand and keened weakly to his superior.

"If you ever say a word of this to anyone, you good-for-nothing louse, know that you will understand pain like you never have before," Malfoy spat at the hunched over ex-Slytherin, pushing him roughly back out the door, and locking it securely behind the oaf.

Hermione slid down the grimy bathroom wall, bringing her knees up to her pounding chest and resting her head on top of them. Cautiously, Draco walked over to her, sat down, and put his arm around her slender, freckled shoulders. "I'm sorry," He murmured to her, kissing her earlobe and softly nipping at it with his immaculate, white teeth.

Taking his hand in hers, she lifted her head and glared at him, not really meaning it, but needing the comfort that anger often provided. "I told you not to bring your friends," she reminded him blandly, almost under her breath.

"Mione, you know those idiots aren't my friends," Drake growled at her, his temper flaring but his touch still soft as he continued rubbing the tension from her neck with gentle circular massages. "I have no choice. They've followed me around since I met them six years ago."

He paused and glanced at her.

"Besides, this wasn't even supposed to happen tonight. This was supposed to be strictly business. If you hadn't worn that…" The once bleach-blond haired boy scanned her up and down with his eyes combing over every inch of her hollows and curves, his breath immediately coming in ragged gasps of hunger once again.

With her chocolate brown eyes smiling into his, teasingly, Hermione's perfectly proportioned mouth curled in an eloquent smirk. "Well, if my outfit bothers you so much why'd you ask me to meet you in this dance club?"

Draco licked his lips, gazing at her raw, ethereal beauty, the elegant fire that was ever-present in her aura. "_I_ thought that the all-knowing Miss Granger would be able to guess."

Her smirk stayed in place as she replied, "And _I_ realized that the Malfoys like to mix work, with pleasure." She slowly ran her hand up his chest then back down until she touched just below his navel. His breath shuddered against her neck as he bent to press his lips to her tingling skin.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 –The Vanishing Act

By the time Hermione and Draco left the restroom, it was well past midnight and only a few of the die-hard dancers and drinkers had stayed behind. The couple walked up to the bar and ordered two shots of firewhisky. The satisfied gaze of the Gryffindor girl landed on one very drunk, very large gamekeeper sitting almost passed out in the corner. "Oh shit, Malfoy, I have to go." She downed her shot and hopped off the stool, heading for the door immediately.

Throwing his tip down on the bar, Draco raced out the doors after Hermione who was already half-way down the street. When he finally caught up to her he grabbed her arm, his hand curling possessively around her toned bicep, trying to stay calm, just barely succeeding. "You know, it's not really all that safe to be running around the streets in the middle of the night by yourself."

She wretched her arm out of his grasp and poked him in his muscular chest. Her gaze was one of ice crystals, dangerous and focused, and completely on him, yet at the same time, on the brink of being extremely hysterical. The eyes of icy hate shimmered with melting tears for a second before Hermione leapt forward into his arms, fervently devouring his very essence before stepping away coolly, aloof. "I can take care of myself Draco. You, of all people, should know that." Then she put her fingers to her rosy lips and let out a shrill whistle.

A slim triple-decker bus halted in front of her abruptly and opened its doors. Without as much as a word or look of good-bye, she was gone.

Draco Malfoy stood baffled by what had just happened. When he'd first walked into that club, he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off Hermione long enough to understand what she was trying to say to him. So after a while she'd pulled him towards the bathrooms to ask him what was wrong, knowing all to well what the answer would have been had he had time to tell her. Instead, he'd jumped her, backing her into the men's room, holding her against the wall with the length of his body. He was aware only that he would not be able to survive without touching those luscious lips and glowing skin of hers. In truth, they had been apart for too long.

But this was something different from his normal raging hormones, his usual need of a warm, nameless body next to his. Both of them knew that. They could feel it when they simply looked at each other; the air crackled with lightning and thunder, sparks emitted in each of their eyes, unlocking the very depths of their souls in a small glance. As dangerous as it was to get involved at the moment, there was nothing they could possibly do to stop it. Fate had chosen and was not to be swayed.

_Their first meeting during the summer break was on a lazy little street in London that went by the name of Cherry Lane. When she had spotted his now dyed black hair, long and choppy, Hermione had instantaneously drew out her wand and was just about to cast a binding curse when Draco dove at her, pulling her into the empty field, lying on top of her to keep her down, keep her stagnant. _

"_Let me go! You filthy little…" he silenced her by covering her mouth with his large, rough hands. _

"_Shh, Granger, please. Do you really want to be caught up in the middle of a thousand Death Eaters at the moment?" Her auburn eyes widened but not in fear, more in question, as she shook her head. "Okay, I'm going to take my hand from your mouth, if you yell we'll be dead before you can say Harry Potter. Is that understood?" She nodded and he slowly removed his hand. _

"_What do you want Malfoy?" Hermione asked, her voice cold as a winter's day in Hogsmeade._

"_I want exactly the same thing as you do." Her jade eyes glared up at him expectantly. "Protection."_

"_I DON'T NEED PROTECTION FROM YOU! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" Again, his hand clamped down hard over her lips as she struggled violently with him. _

"_Will you please be quiet!?" He hissed into her ear, flattening her even more with the entire length of his muscular body. "Of course you need protection Granger. I mean look at what you just did. If I hadn't been here to shut you up who knows what would have come running."_

_Struggling out from under his hand she growled back softly, "I wouldn't have shouted if you hadn't been here in the first place. Have you thought of that one?" The way she was moving underneath him, rubbing up against his deprived body caused a stirring inside that he had come to live without for the past year. It'd been far too long since he'd had any contact with people, let alone the female population, and he was being reminded of that torture even now._

"_Don't." Draco just barely kept himself from shouting at her. "Don't do that." He'd never been attracted to Hermione Granger not in that way, yet his body began to respond to her movements. "Granger." _

_Angry and frustrated about being held in place like an animal, she narrowed her eyes at Draco until they were just glowering slits of coffee colored pools. "Do what?" She squirmed again. "That?" _

_Malfoy's voice caught in his throat and he closed his eyes, concentrating on anything but her, anything but the warmth stirring beneath him. When he finally got his voice back, he snarled somewhat huskily to her, "Granger. Granger, you can't do that. I haven't…It's been a year. Please…"_

_As a low groan of frustration slipped out, she realized he wasn't fooling with her. She was really provoking him. She almost laughed at that fact but thought better of it. "Granger…" Jesus, he really was in agony._

"_Okay, sorry. I didn't know…" Her voice had softened a little, trailing off as she looked up into his cobalt blue eyes. "Malfoy…" The whisper, one that was supposed to be of comfort, but turned into seduction, escaped her mouth before she could stop it and, as though unable to control himself, Draco quickly took her lips in his. _

That was the first time they had….run into each other, you might say. The other seven times after that had been made much more deliberately. A quick owl here; a coin message there. It made no difference where they were to meet, when they scheduled to come together. Everything seemed to work. Everything except the end of each meeting.

Hermione had repeatedly disappeared whenever one of them brought up Hogwarts. Obviously there was something she was not telling him, but he thought that was just as well for he too kept his secrets safe, hidden from everyone, especially Granger.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Hogwarts Relief

She had known it the day they seen each other in London. Malfoy was definitely not going back to Hogwarts. Of course, this news should have made her extremely relieved. But each time they met, each time they saw each other, touched each other, it hurt all that much more. Hermione knew; she knew they had to give each other up. He was a Death Eater for god's sake. He had been chosen, handpicked and raised by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

As she sat, clutching the seat on the Knight Bus, she wondered what she'd say to Ron. It had been a little over a month since she'd seen him but they had defiantly been keeping in touch, much to her dismay. They wrote to each other almost every day but lately she'd been putting off her next letter. Surely, he'd be able to tell she was lying when she told him how she was.

"_Well Ron I'm good, I've been fucking around with Draco Malfoy for the past two weeks and it feels incredible and I know I promised you would be my first but it feels so good with Draco I don't think I can put it off much longer. Never mind the fact that he's a Death Eater and could be plotting with You-Know-Who to kill Harry. How have you been?"_ Oh, yeah, that would work just fine. Not. Hermione could not, and would not do that to Ronald.

She loved Ron, not Malfoy. Draco didn't care about her, not like Ron. Ron was good to her, he loved her, he had since their first year at Hogwarts. She'd just have to remind herself about that and keep away from Malfoy for the next week.

Thankfully it wasn't too difficult to stay away, physically anyway. She still had to do all her shopping, collecting her schoolbooks, and robes. One time she thought she saw his white-blonde hair bob up in the crowd of shoppers but then she remembered he'd changed it to solidify his facade. Nevertheless, she searched for his face, his electric eyes that liquefied her to her very core. As she entered King's Cross at the end of the week, she hugged her parents good bye and told them not to worry; she'd look out for herself, just like she always did.

"Hermione! Hermione over here!" Ginny Weasley waved her over, a fake grin plastered onto the younger girl's face. The grin she'd had to use so frequently in the past few months.

"Hey Ginny!" Hermione ran over to the girl and threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly, almost letting out an emotional sob. Even though they'd kept in touch, the girls had missed each other deeply. Not getting to see your best friend for two months was like torture. "How are you? How's everyone?" She raised her head and looked around at the family, making sure no one was missing. Instantly her eyes locked onto Ron's and he smiled lovingly at her. Glad that everyone was all right, she smiled back and wiggled her fingers at the red-haired boy.

Ron, Ginny, and Hermione hopped onto the Hogwarts Express and found Luna Lovegood sitting alone reading the _Quibbler_ upside-down. "Hey Luna, how's the _Quibbler_ doing?" Ginny asked her when they joined her in the compartment.

"It's doing fine. How are you?" She looked up from behind the magazine, her large eyes still glossy and round as ever.

"Okay." Ginny answered shortly, folding her hands in her lap and hanging her head.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other, Hermione's eyes full of questions and Ron's full of dejection. They left the compartment together in silence, towards the Prefects Compartment. After being quickly briefed about the rules of riding the train, they left to keep an eye on the first years.

When the two came to the end of the corridor they were supervising, Ron pulled Hermione into an empty compartment, locked it, and pulled her close, in a tight embrace. "Ron…Ron I can't breathe…" Hermione gasped and Ron instantly loosened his grip.

"Sorry, I just…Sorry," He murmured, keeping his hands on her arms. Color rose into his cheeks quickly, making Hermione giggle.

"Still blushing after all these years. You never cease to amaze me Ronald Weasley," she smiled and planted a small kiss on his flaming cheek.

"I missed you so much Mione," he whispered, looking down into her eyes, his own full of worry and longing.

A smile flitted across her face as he moved closer to her and slid his arms around her slim waist. "I missed you too Ron."

"No I _really_ missed you Hermione, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Every minute, every second. I was so scared for you. I love you so much." He brought his lips to hers in a sweet simple kiss, savoring her taste. Before she knew what she was doing, she tightened her grip and deepened the kiss, parting his lips. Ron pulled back only to breathe an oath before returning for more, wanting her with a smoldering lust.

"Hermione…Can we? Soon?" Ron's hand found her cool skin and he blushed shyly as he started running his fingers along her rib cage gently, his eyes never leaving her face, his lips still close to her mouth.

She pulled back a little farther and took a poignant breath, shaken and torn. She'd tested, wishing, hoping it was real, something stronger than with Draco. She wanted to weep with the disheartening discovery she'd just made. "Ron, we can't. We're on the school train for heaven's sake."

"Please, Mione. I don't care. We're going to be at the school in a little bit. It's so damn hard to find anywhere to be alone there." He continued to massage her as he pressed hard against her with his lower body, pinning her to the compartment door, making it all the more difficult for her.

Arching her back, pushing harder into him, Hermione moaned softly, begging for it to be real. This was right. This was where she was supposed to be. So why did it feel so wrong? Why couldn't they just pretend? Because it wasn't real. It never had been. "Ron…not here. Please. Not here." Her eyes fell and, moving back as far as she could, she placed her hands on his lean chest. He caught her lips once more with his, then eased back, keeping his hands resting lightly on her hips.

"Hermione. I love you." She ran her hand through his thick red hair and smiled at him, nodding benignly, but avoiding his eyes, dodging what was her lie to him.

"We should probably get back. They're going to wonder where we ran off to." They walked slowly, hand in hand, back to their compartment, checking on the first years as they went by.

When they reached the compartment with Ginny and Luna, they slipped in quietly. Ron sat down across from Hermione, alongside Luna, and picked up an extra copy of _The Quibbler_. "Ginny, have you heard from Harry at all?" Hermione asked the depressed-looking girl sitting beside her.

"No. He hasn't sent anything to me…Us…" Ginny trailed off, tears coming to her eyes. Her palms pressed hard against her eyes as Hermione slipped her arm around her friend and comforted her. "What if he's…you know…what if…I don't think I could live…I love him Hermione. I never told him." The younger girl's shoulders shuddered as she sobbed quietly.

"Harry is not dead. We'd know if he was, Ginny. He's not. And he loves you too. That's why he hasn't contacted you probably. He doesn't want to put you in danger." Fearing for her friend's life, she fell silent, wondering what Harry was doing that very second.

It was announced, that they would be arriving at Hogwarts in a few minutes and there was a noiseless scramble to grab robes and other garments along with their carry-on baggage.

As they stepped off with the flow of people rushing towards horse-less carriages, Ron took his place among the rest of the Prefects expecting Hermione to be at his side. Instead, she excused herself, insisting she felt too sick to greet the newcomers. Disappointed though he was, Ron sided with Hermione, as always, telling her to go rest in her dorm. She didn't have to worry, he'd informed her quietly, he'd take care of her first years and see her in the morning.

Wandering through the halls easily, knowing she had hours before the passages and rooms would be crawling with students and teachers, Hermione stopped repeatedly. Each hallway had a story, was connected to the six previous years she and Malfoy had wasted with snide remarks and painful allegations.

She reached the floor of the Girl's Prefect Bathroom and slipped into the serene spa-like chamber. Knowing that she could summon the clothes to her that she would need later, Hermione slipped off the slim jeans and thin cotton sweater she'd thrown on impatiently in the morning. Tossing aside her lacy undergarments that she had specially picked out, just in case, Hermione slid into the bubbling, steaming bath. The tension that had built up leaked out of her, consumed by the swirling water that concealed her pale, freckled body under foam and mist.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Shadows

A sigh escaped Hermione's lips and she sank below the turbulent surface, soaking her auburn hair, deepening its color to an almost black, red wine. When she came up for a breath, the cool air washed over her like a shower of icy rain. It calmed her racing mind, and a smile formed at the edges of her auspicious mouth.

Slowly, whispers of the night stirred in the dark corners of the relaxing retreat. Silhouettes of silent marble statues danced along the stonewalls, playing across the alabaster floor. Hermione closed her eyes, unwinding after the long week, her mind sometimes straying to thoughts of her black-haired, blue-eyed, ostracized boy.

The shadows moved excitedly, unnoticed by the girl resting so peacefully. The thoughts she had within her mind were written so plainly on her face. She needed, she longed, she craved. Deeply, with passion. It was his duty, and his duty alone, to fulfill her every desire and more.

He stepped from the darkness into the pale moon light that spilled through the high array of open windows. It glinted on the damp waves of wine-colored tresses cascading over the slender snowy shoulders, shining angelically. Padding across the smooth marble towards the pools, he paused behind Hermione, his fingers itching to delve into her tangle of hair, his breath catching in his throat.

She awoke in a haze, realizing quickly she had drifted off into an easy slumber. The bubbles were beginning to recede, exposing flushed skin below the surface. Suddenly Hermione flinched as she realized there was a shadow lingering silently over her submersed form. Startled, she pushed away from the edge of the copious bathtub, swimming into the middle of the concealing suds, whirling on her invader.

"Can I help…" The question died on her lips as shocking blue eyes connected with stunning brown. "Draco."

His eyes crinkled in a smile as he crouched down, face to face with the dazed recipient of his devotion. "Hello, Hermione."

Moving back towards the edge, towards him, with her lips parted in shock, her eyes wide with innocence, Hermione looked like a dream. Tenderly, and ever so slowly, Draco reached out and ran his fingers down the side of her creamy face to the soft hollow of her neck. Her breath caught in her throat. "How did you get in? Why are you here?" All of a sudden it sank in, the fear, the panic. "Draco you have to get out of here! This is the last place you should be! It's too dangerous. Why would you possibly come here, of all places?" Frustrated tears were threatening to flow out from behind those chocolaty pools in which they were swimming.

He traced a lazy finger over her mouth, rubbing erotically at her lower lip with the pad of his tender thumb. "You know why I'm here Hermione. You know why I came." The hypnotizing sound of his low, husky voice alone drew her even closer, so that her whole body was pressed against the side of the bath in a slightly sensual way.

"You…can't stay here, Malfoy." As hard as she tried to keep it from showing, her voice betrayed her every notion, as did her unguarded, lustrous veneer. "I forbid you to stay here."

Slow and languid was what his intense enticing laughter was. The joy in his eyes was real and shone brightly, hotly, as he gazed innately into her very being. "Mione, I'm not going to stay here throughout the whole school year, darling." Her face fell. She felt it at the same time as his sparkling eyes caught it and was instantly embarrassed. "I am, however, planning to stay tonight, at least." The corners of his sculpted mouth pulled up, little by little, into a timid yet arrogant smile that had blood rushing to her face.

Hermione released her death grip on the wall slightly, easing back, trying to look as relaxed as Draco. "How, may I ask, are you planning to do that?" She monitored her breath, inhaling deeply, trying to calm her rapidly racing pulse. The rushing of her blood through her desperate body was almost unbearable.

"Hermione," his eyes bore into hers, burning intensely, holding promises and secrets. "Are you really going to make me leave? Do you really _want_ me to leave?" Incapable of responding to his weighted question, she licked her lips nervously, then bit the corner of her enchanting mouth. He reached out to her, gently settling his left palm on her cheek, his right, tangling deeply in her mass of wet hair. His fingers tightened into a fist, bunching her hair, tugging almost painfully yet reverently and possessively, at the same time.

"No…" Her breath left her lungs with a heavy sigh as she pulled herself up to meet his lovingly soft lips with a tender brush from her own. Instantly her arms reached up and slid around his neck, urgency replacing softness, fire sparking where a slow burn had been. "Never…"

His arms came around her, cradling her naked body against his clothes. He plunged deeper, his tongue taking slow, drugging sips from her staggering warmth. Her gloriously forbidden heat that he needed so desperately, so completely. "My god, Hermione…"

Words, just three little words. That's all they were, yet their impact on her body was like a burning match to dry kindling. She was on fire, her skin engulfed in glorious heat. And he felt every inch of her.

Colors swam, sparks flew and she knew, finally she knew. This was what she wanted, had wanted since the beginning. His fingers licked like flames over her body, enticing, seductive, whispering secrets of both pain and pleasure. The pulse in her throat skipped as he grazed his teeth lightly over the sensitive skin. Draco's hands teased her gently, caressing her whole body until they found her fiery core. Slowly, inch by wonderful inch, he slid his fingers into her, staring into her wide, importunate eyes all the while.

Her whole body hummed with excitement, with need as she peaked over the sliver of ledge she'd tried to hold to. Lips came together in a frenzy, moans emerged from within as they let go of all restraint.

"Hermione." Draco's hot breath against the soft curve of her breast was a reverent plea of desire. His mouth skimmed the hollow of her munificent bosom before finding the rosebud tip. Hermione gasped when he took her in his mouth, becoming wild under his tantalizing tongue. Her hands tugged at his shirt, pulling it from the slim waist of his pants and tearing it open, causing all the newly polished buttons to pop off. With a laugh, she ran her hands desperately over the solid muscles of Draco's chest and back.

"I'll owe you."

His growl of lust told her enough. The shirt was of no importance to him. All he wanted was her. Right here, right now.

Backing her against the cold, marble wall of the spa-like bathroom, Draco crushed her lips with his in a kiss that drove away what little sanity she still clung to. "Hermione. Now. I need you right now," he pleaded with her as she pulled him free of his constricting clothes. His jeans were tossed aside and he kicked his boxers into a corner, standing before her, naked, his breath coming in gasps of need.

"Draco…" A moan of longing ensued from her center as she stared at him, and he, her. They drank each other in with just their eyes. Touching only their fingertips, as they loved with their gazes.

"You are so beautiful," he breathed, just above a whisper, as he trailed his fingers down her face and stared into her passionate eyes.

She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. This was all she'd wanted and so much more. It hadn't even happened yet and she was almost on the verge of tears.

And he knew he couldn't do it. He couldn't take her. Use her to calm the ache he'd been feeling for the past week. He couldn't because then he'd have to face the one thing he knew he could not give.

Draco stepped away from her, holding her hand in his, unable to break that small, yet powerful contact with her glowing skin, with her. "Hermione…I…We can't."

Her breath stopped and her eyes grew to the size of small saucers. "Wha…What?" She stuttered, gazing up at him, lust leaving her eyes, replaced with confusion, hurt. He couldn't take it.

"Hermione, this isn't right. You know as well as I do we can't do this. We can't be together like this…"

Just as unexpectedly as he'd backed away from her, Hermione wretched her hand from his and shoved him, hard. "You bastard!" She walked towards him, pushing him again, her fury growing as fast as her humiliation. "Don't assume to know what I know Draco Malfoy! Don't you ever assume anything about me! You don't know me. You don't know me cause you never wanted to and you still don't want to." Her voice broke and she stopped, a shudder running through her had her wrapping her arms around her all-too-naked body.

As she whipped around to snatch up a robe, Draco grabbed her bicep halting her. "Hermione, wait. Please, I…"

Her hand flew up, smacked him smartly. "Don't. I don't want to hear it. Just go."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 –

He'd left. Just as she had told him to. But what was he supposed to do? For Draco, Hermione was as tough to stand up to as his own father. There were times when he could piss and moan about little trivial everyday things but he was whimpy. The horrible thing was that, through his façade of bullying and torturing his school mates throughout his time at Hogwarts, Hermione knew what he really was. So he asked himself now, thinking back on all the times they'd been together: Had she known all along about his pathetic whimpy self?


	6. Chapter 6

Months had passed since her last encounter with Draco, yet every night it was the same dream. He came to her, and each time he would take her away in his strong, yet gentle embrace. Each morning she'd wake up, longing; her dream continuing to haunt her throughout the days.

But still she went on, through classes and the trivial day to day routines. In the absence of Draco, Hermione had become acutely aware of Ron's every pointedly affectionate gesture towards her. It was comforting to know she had someone there, who seemed so desperately to need her, but it was also quite annoying. There was no fire in her for Ron. She felt no flames licking at her skin with the slightest touch of his fingers, or any longing to press her lips to his. After every short meeting they had had, in a dark passage way or the prefect's bathrooms, she'd wept profusely. Her soul pouring into those tears she shed.

What had she done?


	7. Chapter 7

"Damn it, Draco!" His father proclaimed, "How many times must I tell you to stay out of my liquor cabinet!" Luscious smacked him with his cane, straight across the cheek.

He sneered at his father's demand. "If you were so worried about it put a hex on it already then, you dumb oaf." Storming out of the house, Draco left his greatest curse and most essential tool, his wand. He didn't even care anymore; why should he? He'd been a damn fool, an idiot, wasting his days with drink and pithy things. His so called mates had come to call on him a few times without much luck, and seeing how deep a funk he was in, let him be.

Pansy had been there too, to remind him and his parents of their long ago agreement of a union of their two families. With His blessing of course. Voldemort thought it was a great idea.

"_We shall bring in a new era and new breed of pure bloods. Draco, you shall be the first to bless us with this gift."_

He shuddered. There was no way he was going to be a father. At the moment all he could feel was rage. What kind of father would he be? Like his own perhaps.

"I'd be a blundering idiot," he mumbled to himself. Then he let out a sharp laugh just before he disapparated.

Normally Draco was not one much for the coast line, but lately he'd felt a pull there. Just standing near the water of the Norwegian Sea calmed him. The water lapping gently on the rocky shore brought him a peace he had not felt in a very long time. But still he felt lost.

He was still a coward. He knew that. There was no doubt about it. He'd been avoiding her, resisting his urge to see her again, plead for forgiveness. He was weak, and afraid.

"It just can't work." He'd been telling himself that since the last time he'd seen her. Thinking deeply about it, there was actually quite a lot of truth in that statement. She was a mud blood and he was tracked always, anywhere he went. There was never a moment when he couldn't be summound or found by those who would harm her.

He shouldn't. He'd obeyed her wish for so long. What he needed to do now was move on. But she was the only thing on his mind. And he was sure he was the last thing on hers.


End file.
